Promoting Sustainable Agriculture, Natural Resources and Urban ForestryPlan of Work

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Jefferson County CES

Title:
Promoting Sustainable Agriculture, Natural Resources and Urban Forestry
MAP:
Promoting Sustainability
Agents Involved:
C. Durr, C. Hall, V. Holland, A. Holt, S. Lewis, W. Long, B. Pratt, M. Pearce and K. Smith
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Urban Environments (water issues)
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Sustainable Agriculture
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
Promoting Healthy Homes and Communities (general)
MAJOR PROGRAM 4:
4-H Volunteer Programming
Situation:
Agriculture is Kentucky’s largest employer and accounts for the greatest amount of revenue in Kentucky’s economy. However, agriculture in Louisville/Jefferson County, Kentucky’s largest and most urban county, looks decidedly different. With a few hundred traditional farms scattered in the far south end of the county, production agriculture receipts are quite small. However, urban agriculture, home gardening and commercial horticulture are popular and growing segments. Also, with the local food and makers movements gaining momentum in Louisville/Jefferson County, the impact from food and fiber producers is great.

Equally important are natural resources. Understanding how daily choices can impact our environment is vital to conserving and preserving our natural resources and ensuring a healthy environment for present and future generations. In 2008, Kentucky ranked 18th in total energy consumption and 7th in energy consumption per capita. In 2010, Kentuckians recycled 35.7% of all municipal solid waste and 29% of common household recyclables. The average Kentuckian used 67 gallons of water per person per day. Everything from the air we breathe, to the water we drink, to the soil we use for food production are vital to our existence. Therefore, it’s important that citizens care for and respect these resources.

Disaster preparedness is necessary for safe communities. Each year, on average, Kentuckians deal with 30-50 days associated with thunderstorms, 12 tornadoes and 3 fatalities related to tornadoes. In additions, flooding is a problem in Jefferson County, as well as other natural disasters.
Long-Term Outcomes:
• Increase in the number of youth and adults practicing, participating in and advocating for sustainable home horticulture and agriculture.

• Youth will use scientific techniques, responsible practices and innovative technologies that will positively sustain the natural resources in the home, community and world.

• Youth and adults will engage in community projects related to natural resource conservation.

• Youth and adults will place value on and advocate for water resources, protect and improve water quality and reduce stormwater pollutants.

• Youth and adults will protect and improve water, soil and air resources.

• Youth and adults will maintain or improve wildlife habitat (e.g. beneficial insects).

• Farmers will improve efficiency of manure handling, reduce environmental impacts of winter feeding areas and homeowners will reduce lawn, landscape and garden additives.

• Increased tree planting will help to maintain or decrease the “heat island effect.”
Intermediate Outcomes:
• Youth and adults are making changes in their daily lives that implement sustainable practices and home horticulture such as gardening, water conservation, recycling and an increase in community based initiatives around the same things.

• Youth and adults can explain the role of agriculture in daily life to others.

• Youth can practice entrepreneurship skills related to agriculture and food systems.

• Producers implement Best Management Practices (BMPs) on their property or in their community.

• Youth and adults will make informed decisions on daily activities and actions that affect water quality by attending a stormwater education and training program

• Advocate for stormwater BMPs with clients and community leaders

• Develop, update and implement Ag Water Quality Plan and Nutrient Management Plan

• Residents will appreciate and improve forested areas and will increase the number of tree planted.
Initial Outcomes:
• Gain knowledge and skills, developing and interest in the subject matter, developing an understanding of the interdependencies of the ecosystem. Learn valuable life skills that pertain to horticulture and environmental issues.

• Youth and adults will gain knowledge and skills in the production of food and fiber in the areas of plant science, horticulture and animal science.

• Youth and adults will gain and understanding of healthy and sustainable food systems.

• Youth and adults can define watershed, stormwater, impervious surfaces, pollutant runoff, hydrology and stream ecology

• Youth and adults can recognize the water quality issues/needs on their property, at their school, in the community

• Youth and adults can understand the benefits of native plants, non-aggressive perennials, and vegetation in the landscape

• Homeowners learn how to take a soil test and practice soil conservation

• Working with urban adjacent forestland owners to develop sustainable land practices
Evaluation:
Initial Outcome: Homeowners learn how to take a soil test and practice soil
conservation.
Indicator: Number of homeowners who successfully deliver a soil sample
Method: Extension soil test records and vouchers
Timeline: Ongoing through the year

Intermediate Outcome: Youth and adults can explain the role of agriculture in daily life to others.
Indicator: An increase in youth and adults who explain the role of agriculture
Method: Observation, records, surveys
Timeline: After programs

Long-term Outcome: Increase in the number of youth and adults practicing, participating in and advocating for sustainable home horticulture and sustainable agriculture.
Indicator: An increase in the number of youth and adults that participate,
practice and advocate for sustainable horticulture and agriculture
Method: Observation, records, surveys
Timeline: After programs
Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Adults

Project or Activity: Master Gardeners program

Content or Curriculum: Master Gardener manual

Inputs: speakers, lab class, quizzes, tests, agent time

Date: May 2017 – October 2018


Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: summer programs, after school clubs

Content or Curriculum: activities, project wild, Jr MG program

Inputs: Jr. MG program curriculum

Date: July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018


Audience: Adults

Project or Activity: Community Garden implementation; school garden

Content or Curriculum: Extension publications

Inputs: Master Gardener volunteers; agents; specialists;

content curriculum

Date: July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018


Audience: Louisville residents

Project or Activity: Rain Gardens

Content or Curriculum: Rain gardens with MSD curriculum

Inputs: Plants, agents, MSD

Date: TBD


Audience: Commercial producers

Project or Activity: GAP Training, farmers market sampling certificate,

organic certification

Content or Curriculum: Programs associated with above projects

Inputs: Farms, KDA, agents, buyers, farmers

Date: TBD


Audience: Seniors

Project or Activity: Food Demonstrations

Content or Curriculum: CES publications, Plate It Up, Farmers Market

Inputs: All CES Agents, CES publications, extension

publications

Date: July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018


Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: Ag Field Day

Content or Curriculum: What’s on your Plate: Exploring Food Science,

Afterschool Agriculture, Embryology, Swine, Poultry,

Dairy Goat, Step Up to Leadership, Build Your Future,

Cooking, Gardening

Inputs: Paid staff, volunteers, facilities, grants

Date: Sept. 2017


Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: Louisville Water Company Festival

Content or Curriculum: What’s on your Plate: Exploring Food Science,

Afterschool Agriculture, Embryology, Swine, Poultry,

Dairy Goat, Step Up to Leadership, Build Your Future,

Cooking, Gardening

Inputs: Paid staff, volunteers, facilities, grants

Date: Sept. 2017 


Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: Jr. MANRRS

Content or Curriculum: What’s on your Plate: Exploring Food Science,

Afterschool Agriculture, Embryology, Swine, Poultry,

Dairy Goat, Step Up to Leadership, Build Your Future,

Cooking, Gardening

Inputs: Paid staff, volunteers, facilities, grants

Date: Sept. 2017 -  Aug. 2018


Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: 4-H Embryology

Content or Curriculum: What’s on your Plate: Exploring Food Science,

Afterschool Agriculture, Embryology, Swine, Poultry,

Dairy Goat, Step Up to Leadership, Build Your Future,

Cooking, Gardening

Inputs: Paid staff, volunteers, facilities, grants

Date: Sept. 2017- Aug. 2018


Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: Camp

Content or Curriculum: What’s on your Plate: Exploring Food Science,

Afterschool Agriculture, Embryology, Swine, Poultry,

Dairy Goat, Step Up to Leadership, Build Your Future,

Cooking, Gardening

Inputs: Paid staff, volunteers, facilities, grants

Date: Sept. 2017- Aug. 2018


Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: Gardening

Content or Curriculum: What’s on your Plate: Exploring Food Science,

Afterschool Agriculture, Embryology, Swine, Poultry,

Dairy Goat, Step Up to Leadership, Build Your Future,

Cooking, Gardening

Inputs: Paid staff, volunteers, facilities, grants

Date: Sept. 2017- Aug. 2018


Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: Country Ham

Content or Curriculum: What’s on your Plate: Exploring Food Science,

Afterschool Agriculture, Embryology, Swine, Poultry,

Dairy Goat, Step Up to Leadership, Build Your Future,

Cooking, Gardening

Inputs: Paid staff, volunteers, facilities, grants

Date: Sept. 2017- Aug. 2018


Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: Livestock Clubs

Content or Curriculum: What’s on your Plate: Exploring Food Science,

Afterschool Agriculture, Embryology, Swine, Poultry,

Dairy Goat, Step Up to Leadership, Build Your Future,

Cooking, Gardening

Inputs: Paid staff, volunteers, facilities, grants

Date: Sept. 2017- Aug. 2018


Audience: Extension Homemakers

Project or Activity: Gardening in Small Spaces

Content or Curriculum: Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association (KEHA)

Inputs: Kentucky CES publication and resources

Date: Spring 2018


Audience: General Public

Project or Activity: Light Bulbs in the Home

Content or Curriculum: Home Energy Use

Inputs: Kentucky CES publication and resources

Date: July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018


Audience: General Public

Project or Activity: Home Cleaning Products

Content or Curriculum: Household Waste Management

Inputs: Kentucky CES publication and resources

Date: July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018



Success Stories

Urban Homesteading Workshop Series

Author: Bethany Pratt

Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture

The Jefferson Co. Agent for Horticulture Education collaborated with the Urban Conservationist with Jefferson County Soil & Water Conservation District and local non-profit, Louisville Grows to host the Urban Homesteading Workshop Series. The goal of the program was to introduce the art of self-sufficiency via homegrown food production for people living in an urban environment. Classes met twice a month, March.-Oct. of 2019 with a celebration in November. 2019 was the second year t

Full Story

4-H Agriculture Field Day

Author: Kelly Smith

Major Program: 4-H Youth Development Programming

The Jefferson County 4-H Ag Field Day was held on September 26, 2019 at Sunny Acres Farm, a Southeast Jefferson County working farm. 150 elementary school students at 4th grade level along with their teachers experienced a working farm first-hand. 80% of these students had no awareness of where foods are created. As urban youth, their concept of the origination of their food is simply from the grocery store. Youth were taught within areas of agriculture, nutrition, animal Science and water quali

Full Story

4-H Embryology

Author: Kelly Smith

Major Program: 4-H Agriculture Core Curriculum AND Natural Resources

In the 2019-2020 school year, over 30 classrooms, representing both private and public Jefferson County schools,  will experience the Embryology project from the Jefferson County 4-H program. Teachers within classrooms receive hands on experience with learning life skills and knowledge of the process of embryology. Youth will learn to care and maintain for the eggs and incubator before, during and after the incubation period. They also see the proper care of newly hatched chicks. Kelly Smit

Full Story

2019 MG State Conference hosted in Jefferson county

Author: Stephen Lewis

Major Program: Master Gardener

2019 MG State Conference hosted in Jefferson county

The Master Gardener state conference was hosted in Jefferson County for the first time at the Parklands of Floyd's Fork on September 18, 2019 - September 20, 2019, in the Gheens Foundation Lodge. The theme for this year's conference was Urban Parks and Gardens: Past, Present, and Future. Our featured speakers were Rick Darke and Tom Smarr, well-respected landscape design consultants. Both have worked together on the design of the Woodland Gardens at Broad Run Park at the Parklands a

Full Story

Jefferson County Introduces Gardening Skills to Diverse Youth Participants

Author: Lawrence Caudle

Major Program: 4-H Agriculture Core Curriculum AND Natural Resources

Jefferson County 4-H Youth Development partners with a number of community organizations across the county. One of the main partnerships the 4-H program upholds is the partnership with the community centers. There 15 community centers in Louisville, and many of them provides access to youth participants who may not have the means to attend 4-H programming; this allows 4-H to bring programming to the community centers’ participants to assist them in developing life skills. During the summer

Full Story

Jefferson County Introduces Jefferson County Teens to M.A.N.R.R.S. and Agriculture Related Careers

Author: Lawrence Caudle

Major Program: 4-H Leadership Core Curriculum

Jefferson County 4-H Introduces Jefferson County Teens to M.A.N.R.R.S. and Agriculture Related CareersAccording to the United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, agriculture and its related industries provide 11 percent of U.S. employment. Unfortunately, many youth are not aware of the opportunities that agriculture provides. This is true for many of the students that attend Fern Creek Traditional High School in Jefferson County, Louisville, KY. A number of Fern Creek&rsq

Full Story

Montessori School of Louisville, Biology Class Project

Author: Phillip Long

Major Program: Urban Environments (water issues)

Since we use these stories as a resource for multiple requests, don’t restrict Success Stories only to traditional Extension appointments and activities. Any accomplishments and efforts that are noteworthy may be included.Surface water runoff from impervious surfaces has become a major water quality problem to Kentucky’s urban streams. These urban streams are used for swimming, wadding and other recreational activities and have negative impacts on humans and aquatic life as water qua

Full Story

Toxic Plant Survey at the Louisville Zoo

Author: Phillip Long

Major Program: Sustainable Agriculture

Since we use these stories as a resource for multiple requests, don’t restrict Success Stories only to traditional Extension appointments and activities. Any accomplishments and efforts that are noteworthy may be included.The Louisville Zoo, or the Louisville Zoological Garden, is a 134-acre zoo in Louisville, Kentucky, situated in the city's Poplar Level neighborhood. Notable Exhibits include Herpaquarium, Lorikeet Landing, Glacier Run, South America, Africa Exhibit, Islands, Gorilla

Full Story

KY Master Naturalists Program for Jefferson County

Author: Phillip Long

Major Program: Sustainable Agriculture

Since we use these stories as a resource for multiple requests, don’t restrict Success Stories only to traditional Extension appointments and activities. Any accomplishments and efforts that are noteworthy may be included.Jefferson County residents have a desire to be life-long learners and play an active role in protecting and improving the environment.  The Jefferson County Extension Service applied to be one of the first hosts for the Kentucky Master Naturalist Program(KMNP). &nbsp

Full Story

Jefferson County 4-H Farm Field Day

Author: Chanda Hall

Major Program: 4-H Agriculture Core Curriculum AND Natural Resources

The Jefferson County 4-H Ag Field Day was held on September 26, 2019, at Sunny Acres Farm, a Southeast Jefferson County working farm. 150 elementary school students at the 4th-grade level along with their teachers experienced a working farm first-hand. 80% of these students had no awareness of where foods are created. As urban youth, their concept of the origination of their food is simply from the grocery store.Partnering with outside agencies, youth were taught within areas of agriculture, nut

Full Story

COVID-19 Farmers Market Vendor Guide for ELL Market Vendors

Author: Bethany Pratt

Major Program: Farmer's Markets

In order to support English-Language Learning (ELL) Farmers Market Vendors, the Jefferson County Horticulture Agent partnered with the University of Kentucky Center for Crop Diversity (CCD) and CommonEarth Gardens to adapt the COVID-19 Farmers Market training from CCD to make it accessible for the ELL Farmers.The CCD took the lead in developing several webinars about changes to farmers markets during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Hort Agent and members of CommonEarth Gardens attended these webinars

Full Story
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